SANTANA – RITZ 1984 SOUNDBOARD (2 CD-R)

Description

The Ritz, New York, NY, USA 31st October 1984

　Santana, in 1984, was diligently performing live shows while refining their unique album ‘BEYOND APPEARANCES’. This soundboard album captures the live performance from the eve of the album’s completion, pouring it directly into your mind.

　This release contains a recording of their New York performance on October 31, 1984. It’s a stereo soundboard recording from the legendary venue, The Ritz. When it comes to soundboard recordings from the ‘BEYOND APPEARANCES’ era, the 1985 recordings such as ‘KANSAS CITY 1985 SOUNDBOARD (Uxbridge 2715)’, ‘MILLER MUSIC FESTIVAL 1985 SOUNDBOARD (Uxbridge 2648)’, and ‘CHICAGO 1985 SOUNDBOARD (Uxbridge 2680)’ are well-known, but this release is a different one from 1984. To understand the context, let’s first take a look at their activities at that time.

●1984
《March 28th: ​​Production of ‘BEYOND APPEARANCES’ begins》
・May 19th: San Francisco performance
・May 28th – July 8th: Europe (27 performances)
・October 6th – 31st: North America #1a (8 performances)←★HERE★
《November 1st: ‘BEYOND APPEARANCES’ completed》
・November 2nd – December 1st: North America #1b (15 performances)
●1985
《February 25th: ‘BEYOND APPEARANCES’ released》
・April 27th – May 10th: North America #2 (11 performances)
・May 30th – August 22nd: North America #3 (42 performances)←※CHICAGO 1985 etc.
・November 15th: Albany performance

【A guitar album focused on fiery guitar】
　This is Santana in 1984/1985. 1985 was the album tour following the release of ‘BEYOND APPEARANCES,’ but the Ritz performance featured here was during the final stages of production, the day before the album was completed. Two shows were held that day, coinciding with Halloween, but it’s unclear whether this recording is from the early or late show.

　While soundboard recordings capturing such performances have been known for some time, this release is the ultimate version, directly digitized from the best master recording. It was also released as a tribute to Alex Ligertwood, who passed away in May 2026.

　And the sound is raw yet distinctive. The raw, unadulterated core is incredibly direct, rough and real like a direct-to-board setup, but the tone and mix balance are reminiscent of a live FM radio or television broadcast. What stands out most is the mix, which is clearly focused on the guitar. Every single note Carlos plays stands out with unusual clarity, and even the range of his bends and the subtle nuances of his picking are vividly depicted. Among the many Santana soundboard recordings, this is a “guitar album” that showcases Carlos’s masterful technique to the fullest.

[A fulfilling setlist that marks the legacy of Alex Ligertwood]
　This guitar album depicts a club gig lasting approximately 118 minutes. While performing songs from the nearly completed ‘Beyond Appearances,’ the set is different from the “North America #3” show which was the main part of the tour. Let’s compare and organize them here.

●Beyond Appearance
– Spirit / Breaking Out / Written In Sand (★★) / Touchdown Raiders / Right Now
●Others
– Santana: Savor / Soul Sacrifice (Aranjuez)
– Heavenly Guardian: Samba Pa Ti (★★) / Incident at Neshabur / Black Magic Woman-Gypsy Queen
– Santana III: Batuka / No One To Depend On
– Moon Flower: She’s Not There / I’ll Be Waiting (★★)
-Others: Primera Invasion / Open Invitation / By The Pool (★) / Body Surfing / Marbles / Waited All My Life / Super Boogie / Hong Kong Blues / Europa (Earth’s Cry, Heaven’s Smile)
*Note: Tracks marked with “★” were not included in the “North America #3” soundboard recordings. Tracks marked with “★★” were not even included in the classic pro-shot recording “MOUNTAIN VIEW 1986”.

…And that’s how it is. Five songs from ‘BEYOND APPEARANCES’. These are songs that were being refined on stage in parallel with the recording, so you can enjoy them in their freshest, almost-final state. “Written In Sand” in particular is a great track that wasn’t on the 1985 soundboard recordings or the pro-shot recording of ‘MOUNTAIN VIEW 1986′.

　Another highlight of this album is the exquisite twin vocals of Rigertwood and Greg Walker, who complement each other perfectly. As mentioned earlier, the mix is ​​focused on the guitar, but that’s only in comparison to other soundboard recordings. The two vocalists’ vocalizations are just as prominent and clear as the guitars, and their breath and energy are directly conveyed to your brain.

　Carlos’s guitar burns brilliantly, and the twin vocals of Alex Rigertwood and Greg Walker intertwine with it. This is an ultra-direct soundboard recording that perfectly captures the essence of a live performance from a precious period. Please enjoy it to the fullest.

★Stereo soundboard recording of the “October 31, 1984, The Ritz concert”. This is a top-of-the-line version digitized directly from the best master released in tribute to Alex Rigertwood. The unique mix, which focuses on the guitar, vividly depicts even the nuances of Carlos’s picking, making it a superb guitar album where you can enjoy the full show from the day before the completion of ‘BEYOND APPEARANCES’.

1.Spirit (5:24)
2.Primera Invasion (2:15)
3.Open Invitation (5:50)
4.By The Pool/Samba Pa Ti (6:33)
5.Breaking Out (4:35)
6.Written In Sand (3:53)
7.Body Surfing (6:17)
8.She’s Not There > Marbles (5:25)
9.Incident At Neshabur (5:35)
10.Waited All My Life (4:04)
11.I’ll Be Waiting (4:49)
12.Savor…percussion solos (6:00)
13.Super Boogie (5:51)
14.Hong Kong Blues (3:36)
15.Touchdown Raiders (3:18)
16.Soul Sacrifice > Aranjuez (13:45)
17.Batuka (3:15)
18.No One To Depend On (4:23)
19.Black Magic Woman > Gypsy Queen (6:25)
20.Europa (7:50)
21.Right Now…Band Intro (8:38)

STEREO SOUNDBOARD RECORDING

Carlos Santana – Guitar/Vocals/Percussion
Greg Walker – Vocals
Alphonso Johnson – Bass
Alex Ligertwood – Guitar/Vocals
Armando Peraza – Bongos/Congas/Percussion
Raul Rekow – Congas/Percussion
Orestes Vilato – Timbales/Percussion
Chester Thompson – Keyboards
Graham Lear – Drums